Railway-switch-locking means



April 28, 1931. T. E. BLACKWELL ET AL 1,802,696

RAILWAY SWITCH LOCKING MEANS Original Filed Dec. 14, 1927 W/T/VESSES INV EN TOR. W ao/m4 s5zAovw5 LESL 7f5M/77/ BY ATTORNEYS.

Fatented Apr. 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATEN'E OFFICE THOMAS E. BLAGKWEDLAND LESLIE '1. SMITH, OF MCKINNEY, TEXAS RAILWAY-SWITCH-LO CKIN G MEANSOriginal application filed December 14, 1927, Serial No. 239,957.Divided and this application filed March 30, 1929. Serial No. 351,254. 1

This invention relates to locking means for railway switches, and itconstitutes a division of our copending application filed December 14th,1927, and serially numbered 239,957.

The invention has for one of its objects to provide means of thecharacter stated, which after the opening of the switch, shall beadapted to be operated by a car approaching the opened switch to elfectthe locking of the switch in fully opened position and thus preventdamage to the switch points and reduce to the minimum the possibility ofthe derailment f the car.

The invention has for a further object to provide means of the characterstated which shall be adapted to be used in connection with a switchadapted to be opened by the car and which shall be adapted to beoperated by the car immediately after the opening of the switch toelfect the locking of the switch in fully opened position. a

The invention has for a further object to provide-means of the characterstated which shall be adapted to release the opened switch immediatelyafter the carhas passed through the switch so as to permit the switch tobe returned to closed position.

The invention has for a still further object to provide means of thecharacter stated which shall be simple, strong and durable, which shallbe adapted to be manufactured at a low cost, andwhich shall, be adaptedto be installed easily and at low cost.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the nature of which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter, fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a portion of a railway embodying the caractuated switch and our improved means for locking the switch in openedposition;

. Figure 2 is a view in side elevation-illus trating the bolt of thelocking means and the manner in which the bolt is mounted;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on the vertical plane indicated bythe line 4.4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is a View in side elevation of the bar foropening the switchand the means for supporting the bar. Y

Referring in detail to the drawing, 1 and 2 designate respectivelyopposite main rails, 3 and 4 designate respectively opposite branch orsiding rails, and 5 the ties of a railway. 6 designates the frog and 7and 8 the points of the switch of the railway. v The switch points 7 and8 are connected by a bar 9 for simultaneous movement from closed toopened or from opened to closed position. The switch points 7 and 8 areyieldingly held in closed position, in which position they are shown inFigure 1, by a spring 10 which is carried by a rod 11 and bears againstthe switch point 7. The rod 11 is fixed to the rail 3 and passes freelythrough the switch point 7. The bar 9 is arranged beneath the rails land 2 and the switch points 7 and 8, and it is connected to the switchpoints by pivots 12. The bar 9 is arranged between a pair of the ties 5,and supported by such ties is a trough 13 which receives the bar andprevents the ballast of the railway from interfering with its operation.

A semaphore is associated with the head, and it comprises blades 14carried by the upper end of a vertical shaft 15, and a stand 16 in whichthe shaft is journaled. The semaphore is operatedby the switch throughthemedium of a rack bar 17 which is pivoted, as at 18, to the switch bar9 and is engaged with a pinion 19 fixed to the lower end of the shaft15. 7 Means are provided for permitting the switch to be opened from thecar approaching the switch, and this means comprises a shaft 20 whichextends transversely of and beneath the rails 1 and 2 and is journaledin bearings 21 secured to the bases of the rails. The shaft 20 islocated at a considerable distance from the switch, and it is connectedto the switch bar 9 through the medium of a rod 22 arranged centrallybetween and longitudinally of the rails 1 and 2. The rod 22 is slidablysupported by bearings 23 secured to certain of the ties 5, and it isconnected by a link 24 to an arm 25 extending outwardly from the shaft20.7 The rod 22 is connected to the switch rod 9 throughthe me" dium ofan elbow lever 26 and a. link 27. The lever 26 is pivotally connected,as at 28, to the trough13, and the link 2? is pivotally connected to theswitch bar 9 and to the lover. The lever 26 is provided with an eye 29for the reception of the rod 22, and a spring 30 mounted upon the rodbetween the eye 29 and the nut 31, establishes a yielding connectionbetween the rod and lever. A bar 32 supported adjacent the rail 1 andconnected to the shaft 20, is adapted to be depressed to eifect theopening of the switch. This bar is adapted to be depressed by carried bythe ear and forming the subject matter of our copending applicationfiled March 30, 1929, and serially numbered 351,255. The

7 bar 32 is arranged parallel to the rail 1, and

is connected to a plate 33 by links 34. f The plate 33 is secured tocertain of the ties 5, and is provided at one end with an upwardlyextending apertured lug 35. A bolt 36 is pivotally connected to thebar32 and asses freely through the lug 35. Springs 3 and 38 are mountedupon the bolt 36 and bear against opposite sides of the lug 35. The baris connected by a link 39 to an arm 40 extending upwardly from the shaft20. A

The spring 10 normally holds the switch closed, and when the switch isclosed the springs 30 and 37 hold the bar 32 in elevated position withits upper surface above the rail 1. The spring 38 limits the upwardmovement of the bar 32 under the influence of the springs 30 and 37.When the switch is to be opened, means carried by the car approachi'ngthe switch contacts with and moves the bar 32 forwardly and downwardly.The connection between the bar 32 and the switch is such that the switchis moved from closed to its opened position during the movement of thebar in the direction stated. Immediately after the switch is opened, thecar operates the-means for locking the switch in opened position.

This means comprises a bolt or bar 41 which is arranged outwardly of andparallel to the rail 2 and which when in active or projected positionengages in the notch 42 formed in the switch bar 9. The bolt 41 isconnected to a bracket plate 43'by links 44. The bracket plate 43 issecured to certain of the ties 5, and the bolt 41 contacts with theouter side of the rail 2. The bolt 41 is supported for vertical andhorizontal movements, and it is yieldingly supported in its inactive orretracted position by a spring 45 which is carried by a rod 46 pivotedas at 47 to the bolt, passes through a guide eye 48 carried by thebracket plate 43. hen in inactive or retracted position, the bolt 41extends above the rail 2 so as to permit it to be depressed or movedinto active or projected position by the wheels of the car approachingthe switch. The bolt 41 is held against outward displacement by guides49 which are carried by the rail 2 and between which and the outer sideof the head of the rail he bo perat s, T guid 49 ar provided withattaching members 50 which are secured, as at 51, to the base of therail 2. The upper sides of the front and rear end portions of the bolt41 are inclined as shown at 52 and 53, respectively, so as to preventinjury to the bolt by the wheels of the car. The front end 52 of thebolt 41 is associated with a keeper 54 which is secured to the trough 13outwardly beyond the rail 2 and is provided with a slot 55 in which saidend of the bolt works. 1 The notched and enlarged end of the switch bar9 is arranged in the keeper 54 when the switch is opened, and to permitsaid end of the switch bar to move into and out of the keeper the rail 2is provided with an opening 56.

It should be-understood from the foregoing description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, that the bar 32 and bolt 41are so related with respect to each other and to the switch that theswitch is first opened and then locked by the car approaching theswitch. Immediately after the bar 32 is depressed and the switch openedas the result thereof, the wheels of the car contact with and depressthe bolt 41. 'lVhile being depressed the bolt 41 moves forwardly, withthe result that its front end is carried downwardly into the keeper-54andinto the notch 42 in the switch bar 9. As the bolt 41 will not bereleased until after'the last wheels of the car have passed onto thesliding rail 3 and switch point 8, there is no possibility of the switchreleased at a time that would result in injury toits points or thederailment of the car. hile the bolt 41 is being moved into active orprojected position, the spring 45 was tensioned, with the result thatwhen the bolt is released the spring reacts to return the bolt 2 andhold it in its inactive or retracted position.

It should also be understood that the switch locking means'may be usedin connection with a switch adapted to be opened manually or inconnection with aswitch adapted to be opened automaticallyby means otherthan that shown in the drawing, and that the term car as herein employedcomprehends a locomotive or a street car or a passenger car or freightcar.

While we have described the principle of the invention, together withthe structure which we now consider to be the best embodiment thereof,we wish it understood that the structure shown is merely illustrativeand that such changes may be made when desired as fall within the scopeof the invention as claimed.

What we claim is:

l. A switch point locking means, comprising a bar secured to and movablewith the switch point, a bracket plate, a bolt, links supporting thebolt from the bracket plate, an apertured lug carried by the bracketplate, a rod pivotally connected to the bolt and pass ing freely throughthe lug, and a spring carried by the rod and bearing against the lug toyieldingly support the bolt, the bolt being adapted to be moved onwardlyand forwardly into engagement with the bar when the switch point is inopened position.

2. A switch point locking means, comprising a bar secured to and movablewith the switch point, the bar being provided in an end thereof with anotch, a keeper adapted to receive the notched end of the bar when theswitch point is in opened position, a bolt, and means yieldinglysupporting the bolt for movement into engagement with the notch of thebar when the switch point is in opened position, the keeper beingprovided with openings adapted to receive an end of the bolt.

3. In combination, a rail, a switch point mounted for movement into andout of contact with the rail, an elongated boltarranged longitudinallyof and in contact with the head of the rail, means yieldingly supportingthe bolt in its upper side above the head of the rail, means holding thebolt in contact with the side of the rail, and a bar secured to andmovable with the switch point and provided with a notch adapted toreceive the bolt when the switch is in contact with the rail.

4. In a device of the character described, a rail, a switch point, a barsecured to and movable with the point, an elongated bolt yieldablysupported beside said rail and adapted to be engaged and moved by thewheels of a car, whereby the bolt will engage said bar and hold it in aset position, as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a device of the character described, a rail, a switch point, a barprovided with a notch and secured to and movable with the point, anelongated bolt yieldably supported beside said rail and adapted to beengaged and moved by the wheels of a car, whereby the bolt will be movedat times into said notch and thereby hold the bar in a set position, asand for the purposes set forth.

tures.

THOMAS E. BLAGKWELL. LESLIE '1. SMITH.

